BANGALORE: As many as 2,47,436 suspected cases of chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, were reported in the State as on June 14.

The disease has spread to 130 taluks in 23 districts. However, officials maintain that there is no cause for alarm, and steps have been taken to contain the disease.

The epidemic, which broke out a few months ago, spread to northern Karnataka, the Malnad region and coastal and southern districts. No deaths have been reported.

Symptoms

Chikungunya is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Headache, fever, and joint and muscle pain are symptoms.

Basavaraju, Commissioner for Health and Family Welfare Services, told The Hindu on Friday that the disease spread to Bangalore Urban, Kolar, Dakshina Kannada and Mandya districts recently. Although chikungunya had been contained in northern Karnataka, about 200 people had reported symptoms in the past two days after rain, he said.

Mr. Basavaraju said the disease was spread by mosquitoes breeding in stagnant water. The department, with the assistance of local bodies, was taking steps to maintain hygiene. Mosquitoes bred in tins, cans, drums, discarded tyres and other containers, as rainwater collected in them, he added.

The Health Department had received a number of complaints of failure of officials to clean water-tanks. In a few districts, there were complaints that district health officers had not maintained adequate supply of medicines to primary health centres to check the spread of the disease.

Meeting

Mr. Basavaraju said top officials of the department held a meeting on Thursday and discussed a strategy to contain the spread of chikungunya. Since many cases were being reported from Kolar and Bangalore Urban and Rural districts, medical teams were despatched to those districts, he said.

The number of suspected cases of the disease reported from districts as on Wednesday: Bangalore Rural (7,146) and Bangalore Urban (1,726), Bidar (41,763), Kolar (5,325), Gadag (5,423), Bagalkot (4,991), Shimoga (7,377), Davangere (19,947), Bijapur (5,533), Chitradurga (19,367), Raichur (18,022), Bellary (9,615), Tumkur (33,065), Gulbarga (54,237), Haveri (3,286), Belgaum (569), Dharwad (1,198), Hassan (234), Uttara Kannada (184), Chikmagalur (1,037), Koppal (5,783), Dakshina Kannada (9) and Mandya (699).

Tests

Last month, 78,175 suspected cases of chikungunya were reported in 61 taluks of 15 districts. Scientists from the National Institute of Virology Field Station, Bangalore, tested blood samples and found 205 people were affected.

The last outbreak of chikungunya in the country occurred in 1965. This time, the first case was reported in Bidar in January 2005.

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